3D computer game could treat depression as well as counselling

Playing a 3D computer game could be just as effective at treating young people with depression as face-to-face counselling, research has suggested.

The study, published on British Medical Journal website bmj.com, found that many adolescents are reluctant to seek help for mental health issues.

To tackle that problem, researchers developed an interactive fantasy game called Sparx, which sees each player choose an avatar and face challenges to restore balance in a world overrun by ‘Gnats’ (Gloomy Negative Automatic Thoughts).